Unit information: Human Factors Psychology in 2017/18

Unit name	Human Factors Psychology
Unit code	PSYC30019
Credit points	20
Level of study	H/6
Teaching block(s)	Teaching Block 1A (weeks 1 - 6)
Unit director	Professor. Jan Noyes
Open unit status	Not open
Pre-requisites	None
Co-requisites	None
School/department	School of Psychological Science
Faculty	Faculty of Life Sciences

Description including Unit Aims

Leaving aside the natural environment, most of the world in which we live has been designed for us, by us. This includes simple everyday products such as scissors and chairs through to complex systems in medicine, transport and industry. Why then, are we surrounded by poor design? What are the costs associated with this? And what are the solutions?

In this unit, the role of human factors psychology will be considered in the design and evaluation of everyday products and more complex systems.

Intended Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, a student will be able to:

1. Identify the basic principles of the human factors approach in the design, development and implementation of products and systems.
2. Illustrate the theoretical and practical aspects of human interactions with technology from a number of different perspectives.
3. Explain the role of human factors psychology in interface design extending to include the workplace, environmental and organisational aspects.
4. Develop a methodology to assess the design of an interface.
5. Assess the application of human factors in the interface design of a product or system.

Teaching Information

Lectures and seminars.

Assessment Information

Four x 250-word seminar summaries and presentation PowerPoint (50%) and 1600-word case study (50%).

Reading and References

Recommended and further reading will be made available through Blackboard.